1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a recording apparatus, a method of controlling a recording apparatus, and a computer-readable recording medium, and more particularly to a recording apparatus having a function of reserving a data recording operation, a method of controlling the recording apparatus, a computer-readable recording medium on which a program for causing the recording apparatus to execute the method is recorded.
2. Description of the Related Art
As one example of a recording apparatus that records data, there is one that has a function of receiving a television program and recording the television program. Such recording apparatus may include a function of allowing the user to reserve time for recording a program beforehand.
In a case where a single recording apparatus (e.g., domestically used recording apparatus) is shared by plural users, there may be a case where the plural users desire to reserve recording of television programs of plural television stations at the same time. This state of conflicting reservations is hereinafter simply referred to as “reservation conflict”.
In a case where reservation conflict occurs, the user making an earlier reservation usually has priority. However, according to circumstance, there may be a case where a user making a later reservation strongly desires to make the reservation. In this case, although it may be possible to resolve this by negotiating with the user making the earlier reservation, such negotiation may be bothersome and difficult to realize according to circumstance.
In Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2001-298686 (hereinafter referred to as “Patent Document 1”) and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 11-355703 (hereinafter referred to as “Patent Document 2”), there is disclosed a configuration that conducts a settlement regarding reservation conflict according to a predetermined order of priority. In the disclosed art of Patent Document 1, settlement regarding reservation conflict is conducted based on the order of priority among users. In Patent Document 2, settlement regarding reservation conflict is conducted based on the order of priority among programs.
However, in the case of Patent Document 1, a reservation of a specific user will always have priority if the order of priority among the users is fixed. This would be unfair for the other users.
Furthermore, in the case of Patent Document 2, a specific user may be handled with priority depending on how the order of priority among programs is decided. This would also be unfair for the other users.
Although this problem may be resolved by negotiations among the users whenever this occurs, conducting negotiation whenever this occurs may be bothersome and difficult to realize according to circumstance.